Great Outdoors, University Wall and Guidebooks
Spring is the time of year that many Canadians shift from indoor plastic routes to the great outdoors. Longer days, warm air and melting snow signal the beginning of the five- to eight-month rock climbing season north of the border. Weather sources all agree that this spring is going to be unseasonably warm. That means more mosquitoes, earlier f loods, faster drying rock and big storms. If you’re new to climbing outdoors, be sure to read Evan Hau’s five tips to transitioning from indoors to outdoors on page 16.
There are a number of points to remember for spring rock climbing. The first is that more things can go wrong outside. Breaking holds can cause dangerous falls. The freeze-thaw cycles of winter might have dislodged once-solid blocks that can become deadly hazards if knocked loose. Walls can be dirty or mossy after months without use. Approach trails might be in poor condition due to spring run-off. Outdoor bolts and anchors are not the same as indoor bolts and anchors. The spacing varies route to route and the age of the hardware might have you scratching your head. For some helpful thoughts on sport climbing, visit page 18.
In 2016, three classic Canadian routes have important anniversaries. On page 30 we celebrate the first ascent of University Wall’s 50th anniversary with some of the legendary climbers who made the first ascent. The famous 5.12 route is said by some to be the best in Squamish at the grade. This summer, we also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first ascent of Conrad Kain’s routes on Mount Louis and Bugaboo Spire. Both lines are known as the Kain Route and graded about 5.7. Having climbed all three of the above routes, I think it would be a noteworthy feat to send them all in one season. See you out there?
This is the year we can finally add more guidebooks to our shelves. Kevin McLane will be putting out volume one of
sometime late in the year. The third volume of by David Jones will be coming out near fall and focuses on the western mountains of the Rockies. The first major guidebook to the Jasper area will be hitting the shelf in spring. Also in spring, we will see two volumes on
by Gus Alexandropoulos and Justin Dwyer. Be sure to support printed guidebooks. While online topos and apps are handy, nothing can replace the convenience of having all of the information at your fingertips, battery-free. With dirty pages, scribbles and photos missing, my old guidebooks have become journals. I’m looking forward to adding a few more to my collection this summer.